# US 2017/0281933 A1 · Spinal cord stimulation leads with centrally-concentrated contacts, and associated systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0281933 A1 - Document ID: US20170281933A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/090,580 - Filed: 2016-04-04 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04 - Assignees: Nevro Corporation - Applicants: Nevro Corp. - Inventors: Marc Russo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170281933A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/06: for high-frequency therapy - A61N 1/36062: {Spinal stimulation} - A61N 1/0551: {Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes} - A61N 1/36071: {Pain} - A61N 1/36171: {Frequency} - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract Spinal cord stimulation leads with centrally-concentrated contacts, and associated systems and methods. A representative lead system includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, a plurality of signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion, with multiple distal-most signal delivery contacts spaced apart by a first distance, multiple proximal-most signal delivery contacts spaced apart by a second distance, and multiple intermediate signal delivery contacts spaced apart by a third distance less than the first and second distances. A plurality of connection contacts is carried by the proximal portion, and individual conductors are connected between individual connection contacts and corresponding individual signal delivery contacts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spinal cord stimulation system, comprising: an implantable signal generator having first and second lead connection ports and being programmed with instructions that, when executed, deliver a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal having a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz; a lead body having a proximal portion and a distal portion; sixteen signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead body, with each signal delivery contact having a contact width of three millimeters, and wherein, of the sixteen signal delivery contacts, the three distal-most signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by three millimeters, the three proximal-most signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by three millimeters, and the ten intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by one millimeter; sixteen connection contacts carried by the proximal portion of the lead body; sixteen conductors carried by the lead body, with individual conductors connected between an individual connection contact and an individual signal delivery contact; and a lead extension having a distal portion with a connector positioned to connect to the sixteen connection contacts of the lead body, the lead extension further having a proximal portion, the proximal portion being bifurcated to include a first connection portion and a second connection portion, the first connection portion carrying a first set of eight extension contacts positioned to be received in a first connection port of the implantable signal generator, the second connection portion carrying a second set of eight extension contacts positioned to be received in a second connection port of the implantable signal generator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first connection port of the implantable signal generator includes eight terminals and the second connection port of the implantable signal generator includes eight additional terminals. ### Claim 3 A spinal cord stimulation system, comprising: an implantable signal generator having first and second lead connection ports and being programmed with instructions that, when executed, deliver a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal having a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz; a lead body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion being bifurcated to include a first connection portion and a second connection portion; sixteen signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead body, with each signal delivery contact having a contact width of three millimeters, and wherein, of the sixteen signal delivery contacts, the three distal-most signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by three millimeters; the three proximal-most signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by three millimeters; and the ten intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by one millimeter; sixteen connection contacts carried by the proximal portion of the lead body, with: a first set of eight connection contacts carried by the first connection portion; a second set of eight connection contacts carried by the second connection portion; and sixteen conductors carried by the lead body, with individual conductors connected between an individual connection contact and an individual signal delivery contact. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein a first connection port of the implantable signal generator includes eight terminals, and a second connection port of the implantable signal generator includes eight additional terminals. ### Claim 5 A spinal cord stimulator, comprising: a lead system having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a plurality of signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead system, with: multiple distal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by first distance; multiple proximal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a second distance; and multiple intermediate signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a third distance less than the first distance and less than the second distance; a plurality of connection contacts carried by the proximal portion of the lead system; and a plurality of conductors carried by the lead system, with individual conductors connected between an individual connection contact and an individual signal delivery contact. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein the lead system includes three distal-most signal delivery contacts, three proximal-most signal delivery contacts, and ten intermediate signal delivery contacts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein each signal delivery contact has a width of three millimeters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein neighboring intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart by three millimeters or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein neighboring intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart by two millimeters or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein neighboring intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart by one millimeter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein the first and second distances are equal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The stimulation system of claim 5 wherein the lead system includes a lead body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein the lead system includes a lead body, and further includes: a lead extension having a distal portion with a connector positioned to receive the plurality of connection contacts, and a proximal portion, the proximal portion being bifurcated to include a first connection portion and a second connection portion, the first connection portion carrying a first set of extension contacts positioned to be received in a first connection port of an implantable signal generator, the second connection portion carrying a second set of extension contacts positioned to be received in a second connection port of the implantable signal generator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The stimulator of claim 5 wherein the lead system includes a lead body having the proximal portion and the distal portion, and wherein the proximal portion is bifurcated to include a first connection portion and a second connection portion, the first connection portion carrying a first set of connection contacts positioned to be received in a first connection port of an implantable signal generator, the second connection portion carrying a second set of connection contacts positioned to be received in a second connection port of the implantable signal generator. ### Claim 15 A method for configuring a patient treatment system, comprising: programming an implantable signal generator to direct a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal to a patient's spinal cord region at a vertebral level aligned with the patient's T9-T10 disc, wherein the therapy signal has a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz, and the therapy signal is directed to at least two contacts of a lead system coupled to the implanted signal generator, the lead system having sixteen signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead body, with each signal delivery contact having a width of three millimeters, and wherein, of the sixteen signal delivery contacts, the three distal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by three millimeters; the three proximal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by three millimeters; and the ten intermediate signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by one millimeter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the at least two contacts includes a bipole pair of contacts. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein programming includes programming the implantable signal generator to direct the therapy signal to only intermediate signal delivery contacts. ### Claim 18 The method of clam 15, further comprising positioning the lead system with at least some of the intermediate contacts aligned along a rostral-caudal axis with the T9-T10 disc. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the lead system include a lead body, and wherein the method further comprises connecting the lead body directly to the implantable signal generator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the lead system include a lead body, and wherein the method further comprises connecting the lead body to an extension, and connecting the extension to the implantable signal generator. ### Claim 21 A method for treating a patient, comprising: programming an implantable signal generator to direct a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal to a patient's spinal cord region, wherein: the therapy signal has a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz, and the therapy signal is directed to at least two contacts of a lead system coupled to the implanted signal generator, the lead system having multiple signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead system, wherein multiple distal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by first distance, multiple proximal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a second distance, and multiple intermediate signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a third distance less than the first distance and less than the second distance. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the at least two contacts includes a bipole pair of contacts. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein programming includes programming the implantable signal generator to direct the therapy signal to only intermediate signal delivery contacts. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by less than three millimeters. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by less than two millimeters. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by one millimeter.